


Room

by TheDarkestDearie



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV), Room - Emma Donoghue
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-09
Updated: 2016-12-29
Packaged: 2018-07-22 12:13:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7438646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDarkestDearie/pseuds/TheDarkestDearie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>*Based on the movie Room*<br/>Belle was kidnapped at 20 years old and gave birth in captivity. She and her son, Bae, grow up in Room. After Bae's safety is threatened, Belle devises a plan to escape from their captor. It's dangerous, both for her and her son, but it's that or continue to rot inside Room.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Birthday Cake

**Author's Note:**

> I went and made the stupid decision to write a new fic on top of my other three... Please forgive me, I know I've been slacking on the others. Hope you enjoy this one!

She was barely 20 years old, in the middle of her junior year at the University of Maine when she was taken. She was leaving the home of her 40 year old boyfriend, Axel Gold. He was a lawyer she met at Regina Mills’ mother’s cocktail party; she was 19 and he was 39. Regina was one of her teammates and a good friend who didn’t want to be alone and bored at one of her mother’s ritzy functions. Daniel, Regina's crush, had shown up by surprise and Belle was basically forgotten. She was about to leave when some fancy-looking man with long hair and a cane bumped into her and spilled his drink all over her yellow dress. They argued for five minutes about whose fault it was when he finally offered to help her clean it up, which led to physical contact, which also led to kissing, and then suddenly they were having a quickie in Regina’s upstairs bathroom. They went to his house after and then they were practically inseparable.

Her parents were less than thrilled when they found out. She came clean about the relationship three months into it and they were thrilled she was finally seeing someone… Until they found out he was twice her age. Her father was fuming, he threatened to stop paying for her tuition while her mother, although upset, was trying to calm her father and get him to understand. Belle left and stopped talking to her father. He kept paying her tuition, but Belle suspected that was more her mother’s doing.

Belle and Axel were all but living together. Any time she wasn’t in class, studying, or at track practice, she was at his place. Granted, he also had a busy schedule but he was just as enamored as she was so he made the extra effort to have his schedule as open as possible, especially on weekends.

It was a cold Sunday evening, almost nightfall, when she was leaving his house after a particularly physical and intimate day with him. He had offered to take her to her dorm but she insisted on running since she was skimping out on practice lately to see him. They nearly argued about it but it didn’t take much for her to get her way, just a sweet, languid kiss and a promise to call as soon as she got there.

Her lungs were hurting her and she was deeply regretting not trying harder at practice. She wasn’t out of shape but her endurance wasn’t where it used to be. Slowing down was the biggest mistake she ever made. The tall, brawny man was charming. He was probably younger than her boyfriend by at least five years and he seemed to have a staring problem. But he lost his dog and asked for her help. Of course, Belle should have known better, but he seemed so genuine and she couldn’t stand the thought of a helpless dog all lost and alone.

That was the last time she ever saw the outside world.

XXXX

“Mama, wake up!” her boy exclaimed.

She shifted in their bed. “What is it, Bae?”

“It’s time to wake up! I’m five!”

Belle looked sleepily into her boy’s huge, brown eyes and ran a hand through his long, chestnut hair. His hair was well past his shoulders, just above waist length, and that along with his soft features, made him look angelic. He was so big yet so small. Her son was five now. He’s been alive for five years and all he had ever known was Room.

Room was a garden shed converted into a poor excuse of a living space. The only sunlight came from Skylight. The tan and dirt brown paneled walls were covered in drawings Bae and his Mama did together. There was a pink toilet with no cap, a matching bathroom sink, and a porcelain bathtub right by the kitchen sink. They had an old, small refrigerator, and they cooked with two hot plates and the toaster oven. Laundry had to be done in the tub with dish soap and they dried them on the clothesline that hung from one side of the wall to the other. There was a small, round table with two folding chairs, a wardrobe, a twin sized bed, and a TV. Everything in Room was old and used. It was their entire world.

“Indeed you are, my love!” Belle pulled him into a big, tight hug and kissed him on the forehead. They wrestled in bed and laughed until it hurt. Then they got up and recorded his height on the wall with a black marker. He hadn’t grown much since four. He thought once he turned five, he’d be a big, strong giant. Once his height was recorded, they did their morning stretches and exercises. Bae was better than Mama at stretching and jumping; he was very proud.

Bae ate up all of his breakfast cereal like Mama asked him to because now that he’s five, he has to grow big and strong.

“Guess what we’re gonna make today, Bae?” Her anticipating tone made Bae perk up.

“What?”

He drank the rest of the milk out of his bowl, making sure his Mama saw how good he was. “A birthday cake.”

“A cake! Like on TV?” Her son’s eyes lit up and he smiled wide.

“Yup, but real!”

He was so excited that he was going to have his first real cake! Bae only ever saw them on TV. Mama let him help make the cake. He stirred the mix and he even got to break an egg because her wrist started to act up. They put it in the run down toaster oven, then they made the frosting with sugar and butter. Mama drew a number five in the frosting since, much to Bae’s disappointment, there were no candles.

“But Mama, it can’t be a birthday cake. There’s no candles. It’s not like on TV world.”

Bae didn’t understand what was real and not real since he knew nothing but Room. Outside of Room, there was outer space and then heaven. That’s it.

“I know, Bae but this is the best I can do,” she explained.

“Well, maybe we can get Keith to give us a candle for Sunday treat?”

But she couldn’t because he needed new jeans. Every Sunday, Keith would bring them a treat, usually something they needed like clothes or toothpaste, sometimes he got them real meat. Not from a can. They ate half the cake after dinner. He thoroughly enjoyed it but Belle knew it was crappy. She couldn’t remember what real cake tasted like, only that it was sweet and more flavorful than what they made

After cake, they took a bath and washed their clothes and then it was time for bed. But he had to fall asleep in Wardrobe because Keith was coming tonight.

“Mama, can you read a story?”

Belle considered it, it was his birthday after all, but she couldn’t risk him being up when Keith got there so she sang him a song.

_A gentle breeze from Hushabye Mountain_  
Softly blows over Lullaby bay  
It fills the sails of boats that are waiting  
Waiting, to sail your worries away  
  
It isn't far to Hushabye Mountain  
And your boat waits down by the key  
The winds of night, so softly are sighing  
Soon they will fly your troubles to sea  
  
So close your eyes on Hushabye Mountain  
Wave goodbye, to cares of the day  
And watch your boat from Hushabye Mountain  
Sail far away from Lullaby Bay  
  
So close your eyes on Hushabye Mountain  
Wave goodbye, to cares of the day  
And watch your boat from Hushabye Mountain  
Sail far away from Lullaby Bay

Hushabye Mountain was their favorite song and it made Bae fall asleep faster. Her mother’s favorite musical was Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as well as Belle’s. It was one of the things Colette had passed on to her, as well as her love for reading.

Keith came into Room a little later than expected but he brought groceries and Bae’s jeans. Keith accidentally bumped into the table, jolting little Bae awake. He could see Keith through the shutters of the wardrobe. “Is that a birthday cake?” he asked, taking a piece and practically eating it whole. “You should have said something, I would have got the kid a present.” As if he actually cared for the boy he thought was his son.

Bae’s eyes widened. He’s never had a present before!

“He’s, what? Four now?”

Bae whispered, too low to be heard, “five.”

He was supposed to be sleeping. But it was hard.

Keith got into bed with Belle. This was the part she hated most. As long as Bae was safe, though, she didn’t mind. She’d endure this every single night if she had to, and sometimes she did. Bae counted the familiar creaks of the bed. He didn’t know what they meant. But sometimes he could hear Mama cry afterwards. After three hundred, it was hard to keep count. He fell asleep and when it was all over, Belle carried him out of the wardrobe and into bed, holding him tight and praying to whoever the hell was listening that they be found and saved.

 


	2. Lucky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We see how Axel was affected by Belle's disappearance. Bae wants a present.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you like this!!

He knew something was wrong. He could feel it deep in the pit of his stomach. When she didn’t answer her cell phone, he was sure that Belle was in trouble.

Axel called Regina first, her best friend and roommate who also happened to be his Cora Mills’ daughter. It was strange for Regina, knowing that one of her best friends was dating a man she grew up around but she supported Belle and he made her happy. When she told him Belle hadn’t shown, he tried her mother and got the same response. So he got in his car and drove the route she would have run.

It was dark out and the snow started to lightly coat the ground as he drove down the road. He was trying to concentrate on the road and not think about what could have happened to Belle when something caught his eye. He pulled over and found Belle’s blue drawstring bag that she had when she left. A couple of yards away was her broken cell phone.

The police were called immediately. Not that they did any good. They found no clues or evidence that could lead to her whereabouts.

And then they had the nerve to question him about a disappearance that he called in since he was the last person to see Belle. Although the police had no proof and he had no motive, her father made sure they made his life a living hell. Maurice French was convinced that Axel did something to his daughter.

But Axel loved Belle. And he missed her so much. He did everything he could to find her. He hired private investigators and even kept tabs on local hospitals in case anyone matching her description showed up.

She’d been gone for six years now and he still missed her more than anything. He could still hear her laugh and when he closed his eyes, he could see her face smiling at him, her blue eyes shining with love. As he pounded his last glass of whiskey for the night, he wondered, for the millionth time, what happened to the girl he loved. He was so angry at himself and at the world, because if he had known that he was never going to see her again, he never would have let her leave that night. Or he would have at least stayed up the night before listening to her breathe when she fell asleep on his chest. He would have kissed her more and told her that he loved her until he lost his voice. But he had no way of knowing that would be their last night together. He would give anything just to know what became of his Belle.

XXXX

“Mama, why didn’t you tell Keith it was my birthday?” Bae asked while he ate his apple and Mama did the dishes.

Belle froze. “Bae, you’re supposed to be asleep when Keith is here, what have I told you?”

“Why didn’t you tell him?”

“Because, Bae, Keith isn’t our friend.” She informed him sharply.

“He said he’d get me a toy. I never had a toy before!”

She looked down at her boy in sad understanding. “I know, baby. But listen to me, I need you to promise me that whenever Keith comes into Room, you will stay asleep. And if you wake up, cover your ears and stay inside Wardrobe. Can you promise me?”

Bae stared thoughtfully at his mother, wondering why it was so important to her. But she looked almost fearful so he agreed because he was a brave boy. “Okay, Mama, I promise,” he said and then paused for a brief moment. “But what if he brings me my dog, Lucky?”

Belle bowed her head and sighed exasperatedly. Lucky was Bae’s imaginary dog. It was hard being alone, she knew that better than him. That’s why they personified objects in Room- exhibit A. Every morning, he woke up and greeted Wardrobe, Table, Chair number one, Chair number two, Plant, Lamp, and every other object the boy deemed fit of personhood. He didn’t even know what the concept of a friend was, really. Somewhere along the line, they must have watched a movie or show in which there was a dog named Lucky because one day, he started going on about how he had this dog in outer space named Lucky. Belle went along with it for his sake but she didn’t feel like indulging the idea of Keith giving him gifts.

“There’s no space for a dog in here. It’ll bark and scratch.” She reasoned.

“Not Lucky, he promises!”

“There is no Lucky.”

“Yes, there is, he’s my dog!” He said indignantly.

“Baelfire, he’s not real! You made him up, inside your head!” She snapped.

He was silent as his face fell and Belle felt her heart break at the devastation in his eyes. He blinked hard and broke out in high pitched, hiccupped sobs.

“Oh, Bae, I’m so sorry.” She said as she fell to the floor and gathered him in her arms, rocking him back and forth.

Bae said nothing as he cried in his mother’s arms. She sang to him and smoothed his hair, just like his father used to like, until she had to breastfeed her five year old son since their food lacked the nutrients he needed. In the mornings, they usually supplemented with vitamins and the breastmilk helped keep him as healthy as possible, considering their poor diet. But they were running low on vitamins so they were only able to take half a pill that morning.

Bae fell asleep in Wardrobe and once Keith left, Belle carried him back to bed.

Keith didn’t know he wasn’t Bae’s father and he probably wouldn’t care less. In fact, it might strengthen the indifference he felt towards her son. Bae had only seen Keith through Wardrobe and he had no clue he even had a father. A child was never in the cards for Keith so he offered to get her abortion pills but she refused. He accepted her decision as long as she made sure the child didn’t get in the way of their nightly meetings. After Bae’s birth, he made sure Belle was always stocked with birth control pills.

XXXX  

The first night Keith brought her to Room, he shoved her through the door and it locked automatically. There was no way she could break through the steel door and certainly no way she could unlock it since it required a 4-digit code.

“This is your new home. You’re mine now.” He said.

Belle was smart. She knew right away not to antagonize him. _Appease him and you can live long enough to plan an escape,_ her conscience told her.

Later that same night, when he came in and raped her, she didn’t scream. She merely sobbed into the pillow and hoped that someone would find her soon. Belle was sure that if anyone was going to find her, it was going to be Axel, given his connections and stubborn persistence. She waited every single day but no one came.

Then about two months later, she realized she was late on her period. She convinced Keith to get her a pregnancy test. Since there was a very real chance the baby could be Axel’s, she said no to the abortion. When Baelfire was born and he opened his eyes, she was so sure that the baby wasn’t Keith’s because she had stared into those exact, honey-hued brown eyes so many times, they were impossible to forget.

Although, sometimes, she did wonder. Her mind would take her to places she didn’t want to go and she would question the possibility that Bae could be Keith’s son. Not that it mattered, anyway. She was in love the moment that boy was in her arms, naked and covered in blood and vernix. The little thing hardly cried. After he was born, she made it her life’s mission to keep Keith as far away from her son as possible.

Baelfire was quite literally all she had to live for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos/Comments are encouraged! I always love to hear your guys' feedback!!


	3. The Car

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Axel can't move on from Belle. Bae gets curious and Mama pays the price.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise, they won't be stuck there for long!

The ring gleamed in the light. He still had it polished for when she came back, because she was going to come back one day, he just knew. It was a simple, elegant diamond ring with a silver band, nothing flashy or over the top; she would have loved it. He’d had no plans to propose any time soon- they had barely been together for a year and he wanted to wait until she finished school- but he saw the ring in a shop window and knew that would be the one. He held it between his thumb and forefinger, imagining the look she’d have on her face when he showed it to her. His Belle would have made a beautiful bride. If all had gone the way he’d planned, they’d be married right now. He’d be heading home to his loving wife instead of being holed up in his office, avoiding the empty, lonely house.

“Mr. Gold?” The voice of his secretary startled him out of his fantasy and he hid the ring in his fist.

“Yes, dearie, what do you want?” He asked composedly and tried to make it seem as though he wasn’t just holding an engagement ring he kept for five years due to wishful thinking alone.

The tall redhead with pale blue eyes carefully stepped inside. “A bunch of us are heading out for drinks and I was wondering if you wanted to come?”

Zelena was a sweet, pretty woman and he knew she had a crush on him but he couldn’t bring himself to be attracted to her. After six years, he still couldn’t move on, not when he didn’t know what happened to Belle. Jefferson once made the mistake of trying to get him to move on. He showed up on his doorstep one Friday night and had this whole monologue prepared about moving on and how it’s what Belle would have wanted. Jefferson spoke as though Belle was gone forever, as though she wasn’t just lost out there. Axel blew up in his face, roaring for him to get the hell out of his house and how dare he speak of Belle in that manner. They hashed things out since but Jefferson never brought up the subject again.

“No, Ms. Oz, I’m fine. It’s been a long week, I’m just going to head home once I finish this paper work.” He shuffled the papers on his desk to make it seem like he had a lot of work even though he’d finished all of his work an hour ago.

“Oh,” she replied, slightly discouraged, “are you sure? I think it’d be good for you. You’re always confined to the office, you practically live here.” She ended with a breathy, light chuckle.

He liked Zelena as a secretary. She was smart, efficient, and knew when to make up excuses as to why he couldn’t take calls when he was in a mood. He didn’t want to let her down hard. “Yes, I’m quite sure.”

“Alright, well, we’ll be at The Rabbit Hole, in case you change your mind.” She left with a smile and he was glad that was over.

He took a deep, calming breath and took out the picture in his desk drawer. He gazed reverently at the picture of Belle in a blue dress that matched her bright, ocean blue eyes. She was sitting in grass, right under a tree. The sunlight shining in her brown, chestnut tresses and in her eyes always made his heart swell. It was a true depiction of who Belle was, bright and full of light that amazed everyone around her. She could light up any room she walked into, all she had to do was smile.

With the ring back between his fingers, he could almost make himself believe she’d be in his home when he got there, waiting for him on the couch where he could surprise her with a proposal.

“One day, my love… One day.”

XXXX

Bae woke up, stretched, and found that Mama wasn’t lying in bed with him. He sat up and saw her sitting on Chair number one, smiling at him and tilting her head to the box on the table.

He gasped, “Is that for me?!” The box contained a small red car, like the ones on TV.

Mama nodded. “Come on, open it!”

He didn’t need to be told twice and practically tore the box open. The car was shiny, like a red apple, and it came with a remote so he could make it go wherever he wanted. “Can I play with it, Mama? Please!”

“Only _after_ breakfast and vitamins, okay?”

He nodded fiercely and dug into his eggs and toast and took the last of their supply of vitamins. Car was officially his favorite thing in Room. He could make it drive over Mama’s feet, under Table, and he could lay with it in Bed.

Belle hated that the car came from Keith but it made Bae smile and that’s what really mattered.

XXXX

She carefully cut up thin slices of cheese from the block and put them in between slices of brown bread to put in the toaster oven for grilled cheese. She also boiled the frozen peas that had been sitting in the freezer for weeks. Being in Room, you learned not to be wasteful. They reused and recycled whatever they could. One of Belle’s most treasured belongings was a throw quilt she made using a dull needle, thread, and Bae’s old onesies and t-shirts. Her boy was growing so much, and looking more like his father every day. As she watched him play with his car, she wondered what Axel was up to. Did he move on? Maybe he had a child of his own. Six years was a long time after all. Mainly, she wondered if he was happy. He had a rough life growing up, the man deserved to be happy.

“Mama, what’s that smell?”

“Shit!” She hissed. The grilled cheese was smoking inside the toaster oven. Belle burned herself while trying to save Bae’s dinner. The surface was a bit charred and so was some of the cheese that had melted on the outside but she was able to salvage most of the sandwich by scraping off the blackened areas. Now, the whole room smelled like burnt bread and cheese.

Bae still ate it all, including his peas. There wasn’t much left for Belle. She got by eating toast and some of the disgusting peas. How the hell was Bae able to eat them all?

XXXX

Bae was supposed to be sleeping. He promised Mama he’d sleep but he really wanted to play with Car. He heard Keith come in and inhaled the fresh air he let in as he closed the door.

“What the hell is that smell?” He asked in disgust.

“I burned bread.”

Keith set the groceries on the table for her to sort through. “You need to be more careful.”

“I know, I’m sorry,” she sighed, “I wasn’t thinking.”

“Well, thinking has never been a strong suit of yours.” He said matter-of-factly.

Belle bent her head and rolled her eyes. Keith liked it when she pretended to be dumb and submissive. It made her the perfect toy.

As she sifted through the groceries and put them in their designated places, she realized there were no vitamins. “Where are the vitamins?”

He shrugged, “they’re a waste of money.”

“Well, if we had a better diet we wouldn’t need them.” She pointed out.

“Oh god, here we go again,” he muttered darkly, “Listen, you should be thanking me for what I give you and the kid. You get this cozy, safe place where he’s in no danger from drugs, perverts, and drunk drivers.”

His voice began to raise and Belle didn’t want him to get violent and wake Bae. “I know… I’m sorry.”

Keith continued with his rant. “No, you don’t know. You have no idea what the world is like, how dangerous it is out there.”

“You’re right.”

“And who pays the bills?” he added, “Who pays for everything you and the kid need? Where do you think that money’s gonna come from?”

“What do you mean?” she asked, alarmed at this piece of cryptic information.

He let out a resigned breath. “I lost my job… I’ve been out of work for six months and you’ve haven’t had to worry pretty little head about it because I’m taking care of you.”

This was bad. If he ran out of money, she and Bae could very well starve or get sick. Belle’s mind immediately jumped to the worst conclusion. She wouldn’t put it past Keith to get rid of the child he never wanted just to cut down on costs. Well, he’d do that over her dead body.

“What’s going to happen?” She pressed, needing answers. He stayed silent, running his hands over his bearded face. “Are you going to get a new job?”

“There are no fucking jobs!” he snapped, startling Bae and causing him to thump against the back of Wardrobe.

Keith looked towards Wardrobe, fixing his gaze on the shutters and approaching predatorily.

“Hello, Bae.”

“He’s sleeping.” Belle insisted.

Keith chuckled and reached inside his pocket. “I don’t think so. Does the little freak stay in the closet all day and night?” he pulled out a chocolate bar and held it out. “Hey, do you want some candy? Come out and get some.”

Bae never had real chocolate before. He stayed with his back plastered against wardrobe but he held his hand out as Keith got closer, tempted with finally having real chocolate.

Belle had to think of a solution quick. She was not about to let this monster touch her son.

“Hey,” She stroked his arm gently, running her hand up and down his bicep while looking at him through hooded eyes. “Let’s go to bed, yeah?”

He smirked and oozed smugness. “Someone’s eager.”

Belle chuckled low in her throat. “Yeah. I want to take care of you… Just like you take care of me.”

Biting his lip and giving her a once-over, he stepped towards the bed and took off his clothing. Belle met her son’s eyes through Wardrobe and mouthed _go to sleep._

He did exactly what Mama told him to do. He covered his ears and counted until he fell asleep.

During the night, he turned and rolled over onto the remote control of his car, making a loud whirring noise that woke him up. Usually, Mama would have already carried him to Bed this far into the night. Bae’s tummy rumbled and he remembered the chocolate Keith had in his pocket. Maybe if he was quiet enough…

He stepped out silently, making his way through the obstacle of clothing scattered about on the floor. It was like an adventure. Bae stubbed his toe on Keith’s boot and looked up fearfully to see if he’d wake up. He remained sound asleep in Bed while Mama was on the other side, almost clinging to the wall. He had never seen Keith this close up before. The chocolate was long forgotten as he stepped closer to his sleeping body. His face had hair on it and he was very tall. Bae was so fascinated that he pointed a finger to touch him. He wanted to know if Keith was real, or an alien from outer space.

Keith’s eyes opened wide to see Bae standing by his side. Bae immediately dropped his hand. “Hey, kiddo,” he smiled and reached out to Bae.

Belle’s primal, motherly instincts went into overdrive and her eyes shot open to see Keith’s hand reaching for her son. She threw herself on Keith and started flailing her hands against his face and chest. “You stay away from him!” she yelled.

Bae shrieked, ran into Wardrobe, and shut the doors. He started banging his head against the hard wood, clutching his head and trying to drown out the sound of his Mama’s screams.

“Shut the fuck up!” Keith roared amidst the scuffle.

There was a loud thump and Belle whimpered as his hands were wrapped tightly around her neck. With one hand, he turned on the lamp to look at her face. “You stupid bitch! How dare you!”

He let go of her and hastily put on his clothes, kicking the toy car that fell out of Wardrobe. Belle coughed and spoke hoarsely, “just leave him alone.”

Keith entered the four digit code for the door but before he stepped outside he said, “Don’t forget where you got him.” And then he shut the door, leaving Belle coughing and panting on the bed.

“Bae,” she choked.

He ran out of wardrobe and into his Mama’s arms. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry Mama! I’ll never step out of wardrobe again! I’m sorry!!” Bae sobbed and started hyperventilating. Because of him, Mama got hurt by Keith. It was all his fault and he felt so bad.

“It’s okay, my love.” She soothed through her own sobs and raked her fingers through his hair to comfort him, “It’s okay, Mama’s here. You’re safe, it’s okay.”

Belle whispered all kinds of words of comfort to him until he fell asleep in her arms. She knew she’d pay hell for hitting Keith. But she did what she had to do to protect her boy. Keith was never going to lay one disgusting finger on her son, her Baelfire. She did what she had to do, Belle kept repeating in her head… She did what she had to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment! I want your opinions!


	4. The Great Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belle develops a plan for Bae to escape.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be warned, I've been told this could induce tears. (I certainly sobbed when I wrote this)

The first thing Bae noticed when he woke up was how silent it was. There was no whirring of the refrigerator that served as constant, soothing background noise. Then, when he looked up at his Mama, he noticed how different her skin looked. On her neck, there were red spots like the ones he got when he fell on the floor from jumping on Bed or from running too fast when he and Mama played track. Lastly, he noticed how cold it was; that’s why he woke up. When he took a deep breath, he saw smoke coming out of his mouth.

“Mama,” he whispered.

“Mmm, what?” she grumbled.

“I’m a dragon, look!” she opened her eyes and saw her son’s breath.

Mama shot up from Bed and tried to turn on Lamp but it wasn’t working. “He’s cut the power off,” She muttered to herself and got out of bed. She started going through Wardrobe and picked out a bunch of clothes. “Bae, sweetie, I need you to put all of these on.”

Mama handed him two pairs of sweats and socks and three sweaters. “All of them?” He stared at the pile of clothes, wide eyed.

“Yes, baby, all of them. It’s okay, I’m doing it too. Keith cut the power off so there’s no heat. Now, we have to use our clothes to keep warm, okay son?”

“Okay.” He agreed and put on all of the clothes while Mama did the same.

Belle was not expecting this to be her punishment. She figured Keith would probably hit her or be extra rough in bed but never this. This was a whole other level of scumbag, especially considering Bae was his alleged child.

They had to eat whatever they could so it wouldn’t parish and go to waste. Breakfast, despite how cold it was, was a bag of frozen berries topped with sugar and a glass of milk.

Bae was back under covers with Mama after breakfast so they could keep warm. He was wrapped in his hand stitched quilt and Mama was staring at him for no reason.

Truthfully, Belle considered her options. The words _Don’t forget where you got him_ rang in her head. Keith, under the impression that he helped give Baelfire life, threatened to take him. He threatened her son; it was time to stop playing safe.

“Sweetie, I need to tell you a story,” she said as if she were making some big reveal.

“Alice in Wonderland?” he asked hopefully. It was his favorite story.

“Close,” she indulged his imagination, “it’s _my_ story, about how I got inside room.”

“Well you came from heaven, Mama, just like me.”

She chuckled at his assumption. Belle was never really a believer but heaven seemed like the only way to explain to a three-year-old Bae, who had only known the inside of Room, how he got there. “Not exactly. I came from outside of Room.”

“You mean outer space?” His little brows furrowed in confusion.

“No, Bae, from the real world. Outside of Room there is a great big world with grass and trees and dogs and other people.”

“Are they aliens with magic like Keith?”

To Bae, Keith was half alien and half human since he could go into outer space and come inside room. And he could also do magic because he could bring them food and Sunday treat from TV land.

“No, there is no magic, they’re just normal humans like you and me.”

“But you told me that outside of Room was outer space and that magic was real.” Bae mentioned, slightly irritated that Mama would go back on what she said.

She sighed, “I know, Sweetheart, but I lied to you… I had to. You were just a little boy but now that you’re five, you’re so big and so smart, that now I can tell you the truth. Okay? I’m not lying anymore, I promise. I’m unlying!”

He scrutinized his mother with a searching gaze, trying to detect any hint of deceit. “But where are the trees and grass and dogs? How come I can’t see them outside of Skylight?”

“Because Skylight looks up, and not sideways.”

“You’re just trying to trick me!” he accused.

“No, baby, I’m not, I swear.”

“I want to be four again!” Because being five meant having to be told these stories that were supposedly the truth when he couldn’t believe that there was anything else. This was his whole world. Him and Mama inside of Room with Wardrobe and Table and Bed. There were no trees, grass, or dogs- not even Lucky.

Belle let out a breath that was almost out of frustration. Bae had to believe her; it was their only hope. It was partially her fault, she knew, because she raised him to believe in fiction and lies rather than tell him the truth. But how does one explain to an innocent child that they’re being held captive in a room, all while there’s a whole world of people living life just outside those four walls from which they would never be able to leave? A lightbulb went off in her head and she changed her approach.

“You know how Alice fell down the rabbit hole and ended up in Wonderland?”

He nodded.

“I was like Alice once. Before I was your Mama, I was a girl named Belle French and I lived in a house with my mother and father- your grandma and grandpa. I was walking home when I saw a man-“

“What man?”

“Keith. I saw Keith and he told me he lost his dog-

“What was the dog’s name?”

“There was no dog, Bae,” she said sharply, slightly annoyed at his interruptions, “He lied to me and he took me and brought me into Room and I haven’t been outside ever since.”

“I don’t like this story Mama.” He admitted as though this had all been fiction.

“Neither do I but it’s my life.” Hopelessness started to slowly creep up on her. Her son wasn’t going to believe her and it was her fault.

“I want another story!” He continued to press.

“I’m sorry sweetie but this is the story I’m telling! There is so much out there, Bae. The world is so big and you don’t even know. Room is just a small, tiny part of it… Please, believe me!”

Bae glared at Mama, not understanding why she kept telling him these strange things he didn’t want to hear. “No! I don’t want your story or your big world!”

“Fine!” Belle shouted and the room felt incredibly still. She turned to face the wall and let silent tears fall, the occasional sniffle escaping her.

After that Mama was gone. Bae hated gone days because Mama wouldn’t talk or get out of bed. He’d have to make his own cereal if he wanted to eat. It was the only thing he could make himself and he still sometimes spilled the milk.

Gone days were rare for Belle. She’d lay in bed in a nearly catatonic state, drifting in and out of sleep and pretending she didn’t exist, occasionally wishing it. Guilt always consumed her afterwards because Bae needed his mother and she was being selfish, giving into her own misery and depression. Being a mother meant putting your child first, not leaving him alone because you’re throwing a fit and pouting. It was just too hard at times. She missed her life and all the simple things like small talk, decent food, a nice shower, and even stressing over exams and papers she had to write. These days were hard for Bae too, especially this one, because he felt that his Mama’s gone days were somehow his fault.

It was starting to get dark when he decided to speak. He considered all of the things Mama said. She wouldn’t be this upset if it was fake, right?  He’s not dumb. It’s pretty obvious she was crying. Maybe he should give her story a chance. After all, he had so many questions.

“Mama?” he whispered. Belle didn’t respond. “Do I have a dad?”

Immediately, she felt the darkness above her head lighten a bit. This was good, he was curious and that meant he was willing to believe. Perhaps if he learned more about his father, he’d be more inclined to believe her. She finally turned to face him.

“Yeah, you do. That’s how real people are born. They have a mom and dad and their baby grows inside the mommy’s tummy until finally, it’s ready to come out,” she explained.

He paused a short moment. Keith has been the only man in his life. “Is Keith my dad?”

Belle looked at him with a hint of a sympathetic smile. “No, sweetheart. Your father is someone else.”

Good. Keith was mean and he didn’t want a dad who hurt his Mama and made her cry. “Who is he then? What’s he like?”

“His name is Axel Gold. He’s a lawyer and he is the best man I’ve ever known, next to you of course,” she added, her smile widening and her demeanor brightening. “He’s very smart like you and he likes people to think he’s scary but he’s actually kind and loving… He would love you, Bae, like you were his entire world because that’s how much he loved me.” She swallowed and blinked her tears away.

“And Keith took you from him? And your Mom and Dad?”

“Yes,” she whispered thickly.

Her son’s face took on an upset, angry look. “I want to kill Keith dead!” he proclaimed.

Mama giggled and petted his hair. She was overcome with both adoration and sadness for her boy. “You know, I once tried to escape from Room. A few days after Keith brought me here, I waited behind the door and tried to knock him out.” Bae’s eyes grew wide and concerned as he listened to Mama’s new story. “But I messed up and he closed the door before I could get out. You know how sometimes, my wrist hurts real bad? It’s because he pushed me really hard and made me fracture it.”

He gasped, even though he didn’t really know what a fracture was. But it sounded bad.

“Well, maybe we can wait until he’s asleep to kill him dead?” He offered.

“Okay, but think about it, what would happen if we did that?”

Belle could see his thoughts forming in his head, trying to piece together all possible scenarios and results. “Umm, no more Sunday treat?”

“Exactly. No more _anything,_ actually. Only Keith knows the code to the door. We’ll run out of food and clean water.”

She watched his thought process again until he lit up hopefully. “Maybe my dad can save us? Or the grandma and grandpa?”

She wished. For six years, she wished for exactly that but no more. They weren’t coming. It was up to the two of them. “Bae, Room isn’t on a map. They have no idea where we are…”

He looked disappointed. None of his ideas were working. “Then what can we do?”

“I’ll think of something.” She promised, trying to sound as sure as possible.

XXXX

She was up all night, watching her son sleep while she formulated a plan that could potentially work. It would be dangerous and there was so many ways it could go wrong but they had to try. Her priority was to get Bae out of Room. Even if she never left, Bae getting out would be a success.

Sleep had finally tempted her and she woke up later to Bae whispering.

“Mama, it’s warm again!”

The lamp was on and so was the refrigerator. Their punishment was over. The first thing she did was cook a hot meal- plain instant oatmeal and juice.

It was right after dinner when she informed Bae of her plan. Since the power was back on, Keith would probably come tonight. They would fake Bae’s fever and Keith would have to take him to the emergency room. Once there, he'd secretly take out the note that Mama wrote outside of his pocket and hand it to a nurse.

Bae listened to the plan as Mama boiled water in a pot. “I- I don’t know, Mama. Why don’t you come with me?”

“Keith won't take us both. He’s gonna take _you_ to the hospital and as soon as you see the doctors and nurses, you’re gonna yell for help,” she instructed. “And then you’re gonna…”

Her conviction faltered. This could very well be the last day she'd ever see her son again. There was no doubt in her mind that Keith would kill her after this. But Bae had to get out. They had to do this. He'd be fine because out there, was a father and grandparents who would love him and give him the life she couldn’t. She faked her conviction this time so he wouldn’t see her apprehension.

“Then you’ll come save me.” She said with a sad smile.

Bae shook his head. “Maybe next time, when I’m six.”

“I’m sorry… It has to be tonight, Bae. We’ll never get another chance like this.”

Bae still looked uncertain so she had to improvise. For as long as Bae could remember, most of his strength, or strong as he called it, came from his long hair. It was yet another lie she told him when he asked why his hair wasn’t shorter like boys on TV. So Belle grabbed the small knife and cut a lock of her hair from the bottom layer. She secured it with a piece of thread and gave it to him. “There, now I’ll be with you the entire time _and_ you’ll have some of my strong too.”

He was still a little unsure but not as much. “’Okay, I think I can do it.”

She smiled at him, so proud of how brave he was. He'd survive in the real world just fine. “I mean, I’d do it myself but I just don’t know if I’d be as strong you. You know, maybe I _should_ try.” She whimsically suggested, knowing her son wouldn’t stand for it.

“Mama, no fence,” he said in an adorably condescending tone, “but I’m stronger than you.”

She chuckled softly, “I know you are, my boy. Now come on, we have to get you warm before Keith gets here.”

He was fine at first. He lied still on the bed while she placed the hot, soaked cloth on his forehead but after a few minutes, he got fussy. Of course, he did. He was a five-year-old boy having his face covered in uncomfortably hot, wet towels. But she had to keep doing it. Even when he started to whimper and tears started to fall, she kept at it.

“That’s good, Bae, you’re doing wonderfully,” she encouraged, “just a little more.”

“Mama, I’m scared.”

She paused and stroked his hair. “I know, my love. But you are so strong and I believe in you. I love you so much, okay? Remember that Mama loves you more than anything.”

Just as he was about to say something, they heard the familiar beeps of the code being entered. Belle kicked the pot under the bed and hurriedly whispered, “It’s okay, Bae. Everything is going to be fine… There you are!” she exclaimed as soon as Keith entered Room with a bag of groceries.

“What’s going on?”

“It was so cold, he got sick.” She said accusatorily.

“You brought that on yourself.”

Belle couldn’t argue with him because time was supposed to be of the essence. She put on her best worried expression. “He’s got a fever.”

“So give him some of your painkillers.” He shrugged as though it were no big deal.

“I tried! He just threw them up. Please. Keith he needs to go to the hospital.”

He stepped towards the bed and put his hand out to touch Bae’s forehead. She tried to interfere but he nudged her away. Bae whimpered in fear when Keith touched his forehead but Keith mistook it for pain. “Shit, he’s burning,” he muttered, “okay, look, I’ll just bring him some antibiotics tomorrow.”

She glared at him incredulously. “He’s five and dehydrated. He can go into convulsions any moment now! Please, he needs a doctor.”

He shook his head and spoke absolutely. “No, I’ll be back tomorrow.”

He started entering the code while Belle pleaded with him to take Bae to the ER but he slammed the door shut on her. She banged on the door in frustration and covered her face with her hands. Bae sat up and realized their plan didn’t work. At first he was relieved because that meant he didn’t have to leave Room and he can stay with Mama. But then he saw how upset Mama was. She can’t see her family and he won’t be able to meet his dad.

“I’m sorry, Mama.”

Belle looked up at him with red-rimmed, teary eyes. She laid in bed with him and held him. “It’s not your fault. We’re just going to have to try something else.”

“Like what?”

There was a pause as she considered the plan. It was probably more dangerous than the last one and it would require more work on Bae’s part. Their future was in his small, five-year-old hands.

“How do you feel about pretending to be dead?”

XXXX

They stared at the rug on the floor. Table and both Chairs were moved after lunch to make more room.

“I don’t want to be dead.”

She could see the fear in his eyes and it pained her. He was so young, he shouldn’t know fear like this. She should be protecting him from this fear. “You’ll only be _pretending_ to be dead. We have to trick Keith.”

“What do I have to do?” He looked intimidated at the rug.

Belle explained the whole plan. He’d lay still and stiff on the rug while she rolled him up. When Keith picked him up, he’d put in him in the back of his pickup truck and drive away. He’d have to roll out while the car was moving and if it slowed down, he’d still. Once he was out of the rug and the truck slowed down, he’d jump out and run to the nearest person and ask for help.

“Which person?”

“Any person, sweetie. You run up to them and tell them help! Call the police! And once the police show up you tell them ‘My mama is Belle French’ and then show them the note.”

“Mama, what if Keith unwraps me?” he asked fearfully and his breath quickened.

Belle assured, “He won’t… Do you have my hair?” He pulled out her lock of hair from the pocket of his sweats. “Good. As long as you keep that with you, I’ll always be with you. Plus, you’ll hear my voice in your head telling you the instructions… You’re going to be fine.”

He nodded uncertainly and lied on the rug. The first try was difficult. Bae couldn’t move and it was very dark. When he tried to roll out, he got stuck because there was no more space for him to move. Belle folded the rug to shorten it, thus taking less rolls to get him out. He didn’t like it. He didn’t like being trapped in Rug. It scraped him every time he tried to wriggle out and it was hot and hard to breathe. They practiced again, with his arms crossed over his chest to allow him to move better. After what felt like the hundredth try, he grew more impatient, he was tired and sweating. Belle could hear him struggling and whimpering but she continued to encourage him.

“Mama, I can’t!” he cried out and tried with all his might.

“Yes, you can baby, I know you can!”

He struggled and he couldn’t breathe. He was panicking. “Mama, help!”

“Baelfire, you have to do this on your own. You can’t panic when you’re in the truck or else Keith will hear you.”

He took in deep breaths, clenched his teeth, and focused really hard until he managed to move his arms and rolled out of Rug.

“You did it!”

“I hate you!!” he screamed at her, clearly irritated and angry that she was making him do this.

Belle froze and felt a pang in her heart. He had never used those words before. She knew he didn’t mean it, he was just frustrated and needed a break. But it still hurt like hell. She sat on the floor and hugged him, despite his feelings. “It’s okay, sweetheart. But I brought you into Room. It wasn’t supposed to happen like this but it did and it’s my job to get you out. I’m your Mama. I have to make this decision for the both of us.”

They lied on the floor, Mama snuggled with Bae, and waited for it to be time for Keith to come. Mama kept going over the steps with him and reminding him that he had to be stiff and he had to hold his breath for as long as he could.

“You’re gonna love it out there, Bae. There’s hamburgers and pizza and you can finally get a dog named Lucky. You can have friends to play with and you’ll have your grandma and grandpa and your father.”

“And you,” he added.

Knowing this would be the last time she held her son, she tried not to cry or let her fear show. Her last moments as a mother were going to be spent comforting him and being strong. He’d be going on without her, and as painful as it was, it was for the best. “Of course.”

“Will you sing Hushabye Mountain?”

She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and sang for her son. She tried to treasure these moments, wanting to remember every single second- how his skin felt, how soft his hair was, what the beat of his heart sounded like. Then it was over. Keith decided to come earlier than expected.

Bae gasped and looked at his Mama, with fear and panic in his eyes, when they heard movements on the other side of the door, as though Keith were struggling to open it.

“It’s time,” she whispered and rolled him up as quick as she could, all the while crying about how brave he was. “I love you so much, my baby. I love you!”

She was sobbing for the loss of her son when Keith walked in, holding a bag with antibiotics. “What the hell happened?”

“He got worse in the night… I woke up and- and he was gone!”

“Oh my god,” he sounded shocked. He believed them. “Are you sure?”

The glare he got from Belle was nothing but pure venom and six years’ worth of anger.

“Of course, I’m sure!” she shot back and turned her attention to the rolled up rug, shielding her son from his view.

“Well, let me see,” he said, as though Belle didn’t know any better. She swatted his hand away.

“No! You did this! You killed my baby, you bastard!” she roared and the agony was enough to get Keith to step back.

“Okay, okay.” He held his hands up in surrender. “Well, the kid can’t stay in here.”

She nodded in agreement. “You have to take him somewhere nice, where there’s trees and grass… It can’t be here, I’ll feel him!”

“Okay, trees and grass, got it.”

She glared at him once more and spoke low and threateningly. “You have to promise that you’re not gonna lay one disgusting finger on my son. Promise me, you won’t even look at him… Promise me!!”

“Okay! I swear, I won’t touch him and I won’t look at him.” He resigned and bent to pick up the rolled up body.

“Be gentle! Gentle!” Belle instructed.

Keith snapped, “Step back! All the way to the wall, there you go. Now, stay there.”

She watched while Keith carried her son out. The last thing she saw were Bae’s fearful eyes peeking up at her through the end of the rug. As soon as the door shut, she started hyperventilating and regretting this plan. Her son was gone and she had half a mind to scream for Keith to bring him back. But the damage was already done. He wouldn’t even hear her if she tried, the walls were basically soundproof. It was better for Bae this way. It was his best chance.

She clutched onto his quilt like it was the only thing keeping her alive. His smell still lingered on the different fabrics. Belle choked on her own sobs and tears blinded her vision as she panicked. She would hold onto the quilt until the very end. When she died, she’d die with a piece of her son. Keith was undoubtedly going to kill her. But that was her price to pay and she’d pay it again and again if it meant her son was safe from him. All she had to do now was wait. Soon, the pain would be gone and her son would hopefully be safe. He _had_ to be…                           

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment! Tell me what you think!


	5. Reborn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bae is officially out of Room and now has to get help for him and his Mama.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This would have been a very long chapter so I just split it up into two. Enjoy, my friends!

He wasn’t used to the movements of the truck. He was still stiff like he practiced with Mama, even though Keith was already driving. The truck slowed down and that’s when he heard Mama’s voice in his head. _When the truck moves, roll over._ The truck started to move again and he tried to roll out but it was too difficult. His arms wouldn’t budge. When it slowed down once more, Bae stopped moving. Then it made a turn, giving Bae the leverage he needed to roll out. He struggled, like a butterfly trying to break through its cocoon, and when he finally managed to unwrap himself, it was like being born again.

The endless fresh air hit him fast as he gasped it in. He stared up into the vast blue sky, wide eyed and disbelieving. Big, fluffy white clouds covered the sun. He saw trees and green leaves, wires, and big poles. They all wizzed by as the car moved. Bae lay in the truck, mentally paralyzed as he was exposed to the outside world for the first time in his life. The truck finally slowed down once more. _As soon as the truck slows down, you jump out of the truck and RUN._

Bae sat up and grabbed onto the edge of the truck. There were houses, like on T.V., and people were walking on grass. Real people, like him and Mama, walked on real green grass. He was just about to throw his leg over the edge when the truck moved again and made him stumble back. It stopped immediately. Bae got back up on the edge and turned to look through the back windows, meeting Keith’s cold eyes in the rear view mirror. Keith stepped outside and slammed the door shut, shouting bad words about Mama. Bae finally jumped and landed on his feet in someone’s yard but he struggled to keep his balance, like a fawn barely learning to walk.

He pretended he was with Mama, playing track, and took off running. He could feel the wet grass beneath his socks with each step. All of the people’s faces were blurry and he could hear Keith’s heavy footsteps running after him as well as his own heavy breathing. As he rounded the corner he bumped into a man and tripped over his feet. His dog barked and startled Bae, making him yelp.

“Pongo!” the tall man with red hair scolded the dog.

Bae felt Keith’s hand wrap tightly around his arm and pull him up.

“Hey sir, I’m so sorry I didn’t mean for your little girl to fall, she came out of nowhere,” the man explained, “is she okay?”

The man watched as Bae, who he thought was a girl due to the long hair and delicate features, tried to get out of Keith’s grip. Bae pulled the note out of his pocket with his free hand and held it out for the man to take.

“Are you alright, sweetie? Is that for me?” The man’s concern for the child grew as the note was torn forcefully from his hand. The few passersby watched in shock at the scene. “Is this man hurting you?”

Keith wrapped his arm around Bae and started to carry him away. “Help,” Bae whimpered and then got the courage to shout, “help!”

The man took out his cell phone. “Sir, I’m calling the police!”

Keith, out of options, cursed and threw Bae on the ground. The man yelled at Keith as he took off in his pickup truck and then dialed 911 before tending to the child. “Hey, sweetie, are you hurt? Who was that man?”

Bae was curled up in the fetal position and the black spotted dog started sniffing him. He winced, afraid the dog would attack him.

“It’s okay, this is Pongo. He won’t hurt you. I’m Archie, what’s your name?”

He didn’t answer. The child was in shock, that much was obvious. Small, wet drops started to fall from the darkening sky and onto Bae’s huddled, shivering figure. Archie shrugged off his long black coat and draped it over the child. He was able to study the kid up close. That’s when he noticed the sharp curve in the jawline and cheekbones. The child was a boy.

A police car showed up and the officials talked to Archie, who agreed to go to the station and give his statement as soon as he dropped his dog off at home. An officer picked up an unresponsive Bae and sat with him in the back of the car where he huddled against the seat. He called himself Sheriff Graham Hunt and his partner was Officer David Nolan.

“Do you have a name, son?" Graham asked.

He nodded and in a barely audible whisper said, “Bae.”

 “Okay, Bae, was the man you were running from your father?”

He shook his head.

“Do you know who he is?”

He nodded once more.

“Who is he?”

Bae didn’t say anything. He didn’t know much about Keith and he just wanted to see his Mama, not talk to these officers. “Do you know where you live?”

“Room,” he answered after a long pause.

“You live in a room?” Graham looked at David warily. He had a feeling this was going to be more than a case of child abuse and neglect. “Where is this room?”

Bae shrugged.

“Do you live alone in this room?”

Bae took Mama’s hair out of his pocket and held it tightly, wanting to keep her close to him.

“What’s that?”

“Mama,” he whispered.

Graham started to press more questions and ordered David to drive around to try to trigger the kid’s memory. “Does your Mama have a name, Bae?”

Bae nodded and shut his eyes in concentration.

“What’s her name?”

“Umm.” The name was right there in his head, he just needed to reach out and grab it. _Tell them, My Mama is Belle French,_ he remembered her saying. “Belle… My Mama is Belle French.”

The whole car went absolutely still. David pulled over and Graham looked as though he couldn’t comprehend the words he just heard. “S-say that again.”

“My Mama is Belle French.”

Graham and David stared at each other, trying to figure out what to do. For years, the case of Belle French haunted the both of them. There was no clue as to where she went, no evidence, except for a broken phone and a bag. Then they had Gold, poor desperate Axel Gold, pressuring them to find her until one day, the lead detective declared the case cold. Gold, however, refused to give up and paid both David and Graham to keep him in the loop in case any evidence or leads came up. Now, they had the biggest piece of evidence they’d ever acquired throughout the whole investigation in the form of this little boy.

David began to suggest, “Should I call-“

“No. We don’t have her yet, we can’t get his hopes up just now,” he instructed and turned to Bae. “Bae, where is your mother now?”

“Room.”

“Okay, what does the room look like?”

He remembered Mama calling it a garden shed. She said Room is a garden shed and only Keith had the code to the door. “Shed.”

“What?”

“Umm, Room is a garden shed.”

“Good, you’re doing very good, Bae. Is there anything you can remember about where it is?”

He shook his head.

“Okay, when you got in that man’s truck-“

“He put me in. I was rolled up inside of Rug. I wasn’t supposed to be alive.”

Graham nodded, unsure of what the boy meant but he still continued. “Why did you jump out, then?”

“Mama said to, inside my head.”

“What exactly did she tell you to do, Bae?”

“She said when the truck slows down, I have to jump and run. But it was too hard at first. I got stuck in Rug.” He recalled.

“Then what?”

“The third time, I banged into the truck.”

Graham needed more information. As of earlier, Belle was still alive. But who knows how much longer she has before he kills her, if he hasn’t done so already. They needed to find her as soon as possible. “What do you mean, the third time?”

“The third time the truck slowed.”

Graham’s eyes lit up. They had a parameter. He immediately called it in and told them to be on the lookout for a garden shed in a backyard within the three block radius.

XXXX

They found it. Half an hour after it was called in, they located the correct shed.

David waited in the car with Bae while the rest of the team and the fire department worked on getting Belle. Bae looked out the window, watching as police officers went in and out of the backyard. None of them came out with his Mama and he started to worry. “Mama,” he sniveled. “Mama!... Open the door!” He commanded David. Bae started banging on the window and crying out for his Mama, who had yet to be rescued.

As David tried to console him, he saw Sheriff Graham step out and right behind him was his Mama, wrapped in blankets and carrying his quilt. “Mama!”

Belle saw him through the car window and immediately sprinted to the door. The door wouldn’t open and she panicked. “It’s not opening! Open it now!” She yelled.

 Graham watched the scene before him. Mother and son clinging to each other and crying for the freedom that was denied to them for years. It was sad and heartbreaking and yet the most wonderful thing he had ever seen in his years of law enforcement. It was so rare, in cases like these, to get a happy ending. Well, as happy as it _can_ be. He turned to David and spoke in a hushed tone, “They’re going to the hospital. Call him first thing in the morning. They need some time alone.”

XXXX

Whoever the hell was calling him at five in the morning on a Saturday was signing their death wish, he thought as he reached for his phone, scowling when he saw that the sun wasn’t even out yet. However, when he answered the phone, he thought he must be dreaming. He couldn’t believe it… They found her… They found his Belle.

“They’re treating her at Storybrooke General but Gold there’s something you should-“

“I’m on my way,” he said breathlessly.

David shook his head and figured it was probably better if he found out, in person, that the woman he spent years looking for had a son.

While Axel hurriedly buttoned the first shirt he could find and put on clean pants, he dialed in the number of the one person who didn’t think he was crazy for still trying to search for Belle.

“Collette, you’re not gonna believe this but… They found her. They-they found Belle, she’s alive, she’s at the hospital right now,” he paused to let her cry as he tried not to cry himself. The sound she made was exactly what one would expect to hear from a mother whose child has been found, anguish and alleviation. “I’m on my way to the hospital, now. I’ll arrange for you have to take the next flight over here. Call David, he can tell you more. I have to go… Yeah, I’ll tell her. I’ll see you soon.”

As soon as his coat was on, he sped to the hospital. He shook the entire time. It wasn’t until he parked that he finally let himself breathe and cry. This was the day, the moment, he wished for with all of his heart for years and it was finally here. All he had to do was walk through those doors and he’d be one step closer to her.

XXXX

When Bae woke up, the first thing he noticed was that the room was really bright. There was so much sunlight that he was unused to. He was lying next to his Mama even though there was a smaller bed on right next to hers for him to sleep on. He sat up, only dressed in his underwear which, he also noticed, were damp. There was a blue band aid on his knee where he scraped himself from when he fell. There was a large window in front of him. He stepped off the bed and crept slowly towards the window.

The young boy looked so small compared to the view that was before him. There were all of these buildings and lights he had never seen before. He looked down and realized just how high up he was. They were on the fourth floor of the hospital. Bae didn’t like it one bit. His breath quickened and he ran back to be next to Mama.

“Mama!” he whispered and nudged her gently.

“Hey, sweetie, you’re up!” Mama brushed his hair out of his face.

He looked guilty and a little ashamed. “I wetted the bed by accident, Mama,” he admitted.

Belle wanted to laugh. Not because he wet the bed but because it seemed like the least of their problems. Things like wetting the bed weren’t so big a deal now that they were free. “Don’t worry about it, baby. You’re not in trouble. Come on, let’s go clean you up.”

The hospital bathroom felt like the best bathroom she’d ever been in, especially since it was its own actual room. Belle stared in the mirror and saw herself for the first time in almost six years. She was thin, all skin, no muscle. Her hair, which had once been so full and voluminous, was dull and stringy. Her skin was a disaster and she just looked plain exhausted. She bent down next to her son.

“Look, Bae,” she pointed to the mirror, “it’s us.”

He looked at the mirror with surprised, wide eyes and waved. It was the first time he had _ever_ seen himself. “Mama, we have the same color hair but how come your eyes are blue and mine aren’t?”

“Because you have your father’s beautiful eyes. And you have my nose but you have his cheekbones and his eyebrows,” she explained, amused when he started to touch his own face.

“Will I know him? My dad?”

She looked at his reflection and he looked at hers. “I really hope you will. Now, come on, let’s take those underpants off, mister.”

Bae stripped off his little firetruck underpants and was horrified when Mama threw them in the trash. “Mama, that’s waste!”

“So we’ll get you new ones, silly!” she giggled.

“For Sunday treat?” he asked, confused.

Belle bent down and kissed his forehead and gladly told him that they were going to have so many treats, not just on Sundays, but every day! Already, the world seemed cool to him. Except the hospital didn’t have baths. They had what Mama called a _shower_. He didn’t like it at first but he saw that Mama loved it. Belle missed showers and decent water pressure. The warm water hit her face and hair and she felt like she was being baptized into the world and all of its great luxuries. When Bae was hesitant to get under, she started to splash him and then it became fun for him.

When they were all cleaned up, they put on some clean clothes and the complimentary robes from the hospital. Breakfast was brought in by Doctor Whale, who was the main doctor on their case. They spent all of last night being treated, poked, prodded, and x-rayed by doctors and nurses. Belle, despite how exhausted she was, had to answer questions from both cops and doctors. She had been totally compliant up until Dr. Whale suggested that she and Bae stay in a facility to help ease their transition into the world. She outright refused because she didn’t leave one room only to get locked in another. She just wanted her and her son to live a normal life.

“Here, we’ve got pancakes and fruit and juice for you guys,” he said.

“Look, Bae, breakfast is here!” she cheerfully encouraged her son to eat but his face had been buried in Mama’s shoulder since Dr. Whale entered. He was a little scared and shy around anyone who wasn’t his Mama and had a hard time being away from her, as though he were afraid he was going to lose her again.

She cut his pancakes into small pieces while Dr. Whale pulled out stuff from his coat. “I’ve got sleeping pills and painkillers for your wrist, Ms. French. And for Baelfire, we have sunscreen, vitamins, and a surgical mask-“

“Is that really necessary, Doctor?” she questioned. The sunscreen, she understood, but to have him wear a surgical mask seemed extreme.

“Well, it’s to help his immune system. There’s a lot of germs in the air he’s not used to and we can’t risk a sudden exposure. Also, he’ll need to be vaccinated as soon as possible,” the doctor explained, “Ms. French, I really think you should reconsider what we discussed earlier, for both of your sakes. With what you’ve both been through-”

“Nothing happened to Bae. I made sure of that,” Belle pressed to ensure the doctor knew her son was never really abused or traumatized, except for the wardrobe incident.

Belle liked Dr. Whale. He was charming, and his platinum blonde hair made her believe there was a different, more fun side to him. And he was great with Bae, despite her son’s refusal to meet his eyes or speak to him. But he couldn’t understand what they went through. Belle could tell he was trying his very best to remain patient.

“Look, Doctor, I appreciate your concern for mine and Bae’s well-being but we really just want to go home and be with family. When can I call them?”

The doctor nodded his head in resignation and said, “That was actually the next thing I wanted to talk to you about-“

He was interrupted by a loud commotion out in the hall. There were nurses yelling and as the noise came closer, Bae got frightened and hid at the side of the bed.

“I have to see her!” a voice yelled, “I swear to god I will sue every single one of you!”

A moment later, Axel Gold appeared in the doorway and the whole world seemed to stop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They're finally all together!! Rejoice!


	6. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belle and Gold are reunited. He learns he has a son and that comes with alot of feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The second part! Sorry for making you wait for an update! School makes it so hard to keep up with my fics.

There she was. His Belle. She looked exactly the same and yet so very different. Her face was pale and her eyes and cheeks were sunken in a bit. Her hair was a little damp and weighted and there was a lifeless quality to it. Her eyes, however, were still as bright and blue as ever.

“Belle,” he said, sounding like there was sand in his throat and he gripped his cane tightly.

Immediately, tears formed in her eyes and her breathing hitched. His hair was a little longer and there was more graying at the ends and temples. And the Axel she knew would have never left the house without his tie on or the collar of his shirt unbuttoned. But it was him, real and in the flesh.

She ran into his arms, wrapping hers around his neck and holding him tight. He still smelled the same and it overwhelmed her. Belle sobbed into his shoulder and he held on even tighter, as though she were in danger of floating away.

“Oh my god,” he cried, “I looked everywhere for you, Belle! I never stopped looking!”

She sobbed even harder because she thought the world, including him, had given up on her. “I- I missed you so- so much! I thought I’d n-never see you again!”

Bae was crouched by the bed, temporarily forgotten as his Mama hugged the man with the cane. They hugged for a very long time. Dr. Whale stood rather awkwardly as he watched the heartwarming reunion. The nurses had cleared out once they saw how private the moment was, leaving Bae and the doctor to witness the scene.

Belle eventually loosened her hold and brushed her hand over his cheek and into his hair, making sure the past twenty-four hours were real and that she wasn’t dead and this was her heaven.

“I almost didn’t believe it when they called me and told me you’d been found. I thought…” he paused when he noticed a child hiding in the room, “who-who’s that?”

Belle turned to find Bae peeking up from the bed and immediately duck down when they made eye contact. “Axel, this is Baelfire,” she introduced, her smile was reverent but her voice was a bit tremulous. This would be an enormous shock for him and she didn’t want to scare him away. “He’s my son.”

“You have a son?” he mumbled. No one mentioned a son. Not David, Graham, or any of the nurses. This whole time Belle had been locked away with a child. He wanted the man dead for forcing Belle to carry a child in those conditions and for giving her a child in the first place.

“Axel, he- he’s _our_ son.” Belle said gently.

It felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room. He heard what she said, he just couldn’t fully _understand_ it. “What?... I- I have a son?”

She nodded and her eyes were so sincere and he was just barely coming to terms with the fact that he was actually seeing her eyes in real life, not in one of the countless dreams he had about her. “I’m so sorry you had to find out like this...”

“H-how do you know?”

“He has your eyes,” she sniffled and more tears started to fall. “And the timeline makes sense. We won’t know for sure until we do a DNA test but I could feel you inside of him. Every time I look into his eyes, I see you.”

He looked over, right at the boy who happened to lift his head at the same time, and they made eye contact. It was like getting hit by a train at full speed because he could see it, the resemblance. If you cut his hair short and placed him in the slums of Glasgow, the boy would look just like he did. Axel fell into the nearest chair and tried to breathe. He would kill that man with his bare hands if he got the chance.

They weren’t exactly careful that last weekend they were together, either. Belle mentioned missing a dose or two due to hectic study and exam schedules. It made sense. But wait…

“A DNA test? So that man, he really did-“ He couldn’t finish that sentence. Not without wanting to hit something.

Belle stayed silent and nodded in shame. “Not now, please… I’m here now. Thanks to Bae, we’re free and that’s all that matters.”

“I’m so sorry, Belle… You’re right. You’re safe and that’s all I’ve ever wanted to hear.” He wiped his eyes of tears.

“Should I schedule a DNA test? I could put a rush on it and have the results by tomorrow,” Dr. Whale finally suggested, wanting to leave the tension as soon as possible.

“Please,” Belle replied and Dr. Whale left the room.

She sat back on the bed and Bae followed, curling up beside her and hiding his face. Belle got him to have a few bites of pancake and fruit but he was too shy to eat more. Axel couldn’t take his eyes off the boy. He only got peeks of his face through his curtain of hair. The boy was very thin and pale but he didn’t look as sickly and hollowed as Belle. He wanted to speak but the words wouldn’t come. There was too much information to take in.

Belle was back, sitting right in front of him, just a few feet away. She wasn’t rotting in a shallow grave like most people believed. But he knew she wasn’t the same Belle from all those years ago. She had a son, possibly his son, and had been forced to raise him in captivity like a fucking animal at a zoo. Add that to the fact that she was probably forced to be with that man almost every night, there was so much that was bound to be different. The way she held onto him tightly, as though she would lose him if she didn’t, made him wonder exactly how she had been found. No one was giving him any details and it’d be awkward to ask now with the kid in the room.

“So have you heard from my parents? Do they even know?” Belle inquired.

“They’re on their way here from Australia,” he said, glad to have something to say to distract him from his thoughts.

“Australia? They went back home?”

Belle was stunned. Most of her life had been spent in Storybrooke, Maine. Why would they just leave?

“Yeah, a lot has happened. I, uh, I think it’s best that they explain it to you.”

She nodded and focused on Bae, stroking his hair to comfort him as he was still very nervous. He kept her grounded. As long he was by her side, she could remain strong.

Axel felt like he had to acknowledge the boy. He couldn’t simply sit there and ignore the elephant in the room. He sat forward in his seat and tried to be as gentle as possible. “So-so your name is Baelfire?”

He didn’t respond. He stayed stiff by his Mama’s side and kept his face buried in her side. “Bae, it’s okay to answer,” she whispered. He frantically shook his head so Belle answered for him. “Yes, it is.”

“It’s a strong name,” he added.

“He’s a strong boy.” Belle smiled proudly and the love in her eyes was as clear as day. It was like watching a ray of sun in a cloudy sky. In that moment, he knew that Bae was the only reason she was still alive after all these years. For that, Axel would be forever grateful.

“My name is Axel,” he directed towards Bae and watched as the little boy did nothing and said nothing. “Umm, how old are you?”

It was a lame question but it was all he could think of. With his face still hidden in Belle’s shoulder, he raised up his little hand and pointed all of his five fingers.

“Five? Wow, you’re so big!”

Bae’s posture slowly became less stiff but he didn’t dare look towards the man with the cane.

“He’s smart, too,” Belle chimed in, “He can read and write all by himself.”

“That’s wonderful, Bae. Do you like books like your mother?”

Bae nodded into Belle’s shoulder and it was the first, semi-direct response towards him. It felt like progress. Then, he lifted his head and whispered something into her ear, making her giggle.

“What’s that?” he asked, wanting to know what the little boy had to say.

“He- he says you talk funny.” She grinned.

Axel chuckled in relief. He wasn’t completely failing at this whole talking-to-children thing. At least he could be a source of amusement for Bae.

Things went smoother after that. Bae had yet to directly speak to Axel but that was okay. He didn’t expect him to open up so easily, especially because human interaction was still so new to him. But it was amazing to watch how Belle interacted with her son. He always knew she’d be a great, loving mother. Before Belle, he never even considered children. He was too messed up from his own tumultuous childhood that it didn’t feel right. Then one night, they were on his couch watching a movie and she had fallen asleep on his shoulder and it just happened. He knew he loved her and he knew he would give her anything, even a family, if that’s what she wanted.

He just didn’t imagine it would be like this…

XXXX

Belle woke with a sharp gasp. Her eyes shot open and her first instinct was to find Bae. He was curled up right next to her and she shut her eyes, relieved that he was there. She could have cried knowing that they were safe and out of Room, that they were free. She looked to her other side and saw Axel. He was asleep in a chair and he rested his arms and head on the edge of the bed. It was a cloudy morning and the light peeking through the blinds illuminated the silver streaks in his hair. Her lips curled in a tired, content smile and she gently ran her fingers through his hair. It was soft and silky and she missed how it felt.

He never left their side. Not once. He refused to, even though Belle said she’d be fine if he went home to rest. But here he was, next to her and she loved him for that.

He stirred and looked up at her.

“Good morning,” she whispered softly.

“Morning, sweetheart,” he mumbled.

Belle almost forgot how thick his accent was in the morning. It was her favorite sound, next to Bae’s laugh.

“How are you feeling?”

With him and Bae by her side, she was great. The only thing that could make this better was having her parents. “I feel good.”

They were silent for a moment and simply looked at each other. There was so much he wanted to say but he didn’t know how to. Now that Bae was asleep, there was nothing stopping him except for the fear that Belle would push him away. But after all these years of not knowing, he wanted answers.

“Belle, how did it happen?”

Her face fell as she knew exactly what he was asking. But he deserved to know how it all happened. She spoke gravely when she told him about Keith and how he lured her with the lost dog ruse and then locked her inside of Room. She explained how she tried to escape and failed and how she realized she was pregnant shortly thereafter.

She didn’t want to go into too much detail, not now. All she wanted was to forget about it for a bit and live in the present with her son. Thankfully, Bae saved her from having to speak more about it when he woke up. He opened his mouth to talk but quickly shut it when he realized they weren’t alone.

“Morning sleepyhead, how did you sleep?” she asked and smoothed his hair.

He gave her a thumbs up and looked down so that his hair would hide his face.

“Bae, sweetheart, you’re gonna have to talk soon. It’s bad manners not to talk to people when they talk to you.”

In response, he nodded his head.

“Can you say hello?”

Bae looked towards Axel’s general direction with his head still down and whispered in all breath, no tone, “Hi.”

“Hello, Bae,” Axel replied.

Bae retreated back into his Mama. He wasn’t comfortable talking yet. This man was supposed to be his father but he’s never had a dad before. All he ever knew was his Mama. He didn’t know how to have a dad.

XXXX

Right after breakfast, Doctor Whale came in and said the lab results were in. It was the moment of truth. Axel Gold would know for sure if he had a son or if the man who took Belle gave her a child. As the doctor opened the envelope, he heard his heart thump in his ears.

Belle convinced Bae to wait outside the closed door with a nurse. It was more of a precaution in case the results weren’t what she expected. But in her heart she knew.

Doctor Whale read the results silently and carefully. The suspense was killing the both of them. Belle stood by Axel, who was seated in a chair, and held his hand. She was too nervous to sit whereas he was too nervous to stand.

“Well, Mr. Gold,” the doctor said while handing him the papers, “Congratulations, it’s a boy.”

 Belle sighed in relief. Any hints of doubt she had were now vanquished through the results. Her son wasn’t the son of a monster. The test was really more for Axel’s knowledge, but still, it was nice to be reassured.

Axel, however, felt like he had been drowned in cold water. He simply stared at the papers in front of him as though this was all a mistake and the real results were going to magically appear. The air was tense and Belle felt dread threatening to consume her as she watched the uncertainty in his eyes. Just yesterday, he was a miserable successful lawyer waiting to be reunited with his love. Today, he was a father to a five-year-old son he never knew.

Upon noticing the tension, Doctor Whale excused himself and left Belle and Axel alone.

“Five years,” he muttered as soon as the door was closed and the doctor was gone.

“What?”

“Five years… I missed five years of my son’s life… For five years you were both stuck in a garden shed because of some man. Five fucking years! How am I supposed to be a father?” He choked in both anger and devastation.

Belle felt uneasy by his reaction. Fatherhood wasn’t for everyone. Finding out he was a father to a five-year-old who was raised in captivity was a hard concept to grasp. He never asked for any of this. As much as it pained her, she said, “Look, Axel, if you don’t want this, I- I’ll understand… But he’s my son so I need to know now if you’re gonna be there.”

He looked up and was horrified at what she was inferring. “What? No! I didn’t mean- I meant, how am I supposed to be a father when he spent five years without me! I missed everything, Belle! You were all alone, raising our son in those horrible conditions while that man-“ he paused. Hot tears rolled down his cheek and pure rage took over. “I’m going to kill him.” He growled with such conviction and gripped his cane tightly.

“No, you’re not,” she said firmly and was finally calm enough to take the seat next to him. She took his hand to ground him. “The police will catch him and he’ll rot in a prison cell. It’s what he deserves.”

Of course. He deserves a fate worse than what he put Belle through. But it still didn’t feel right that he be able to live when he took away five precious years of Belle’s and Bae’s life. He sobbed, finally breaking from all of this information. It was difficult to process. As messed up as it sounds, a part of him hoped Bae wasn’t his. It’s not that he didn’t want a child. It’s too late for that now. But if Bae wasn’t his, that meant he wasn’t a failure of a father. He could be with Belle and take that beautiful boy in as his own. Since he was the father, he had to live with the fact that, for five years, he not only failed the love of his life but their son as well.

“He saved me, you know?” she sniffled and wiped her eyes from the tears that had formed. “Our son, he saved me. Keith threatened him and I knew I had to get him out, no matter the cost. I was prepared to die for him because I knew Keith would kill me for tricking him. But he never came back and thanks to Bae, the police found me before he could.”

He cried harder and pulled her into a hug. She fell gracefully into his arms and raked her fingers through his hair soothingly. He kept apologizing and she kept hushing him. There was nothing he had to be sorry for. This whole situation sucked but it wasn’t his fault they were in it. Nor was it his fault that he was absent for his son’s whole life.

“Do you want to know how I convinced Bae to escape?”

He lifted his head off of her shoulder and looked at her to continue.

“I told him about you. He didn’t want to believe that there was this whole world for him to be a part of. But when I told him about you, he came around… And you haven’t missed everything. He’s new to the world. He’ll need us to guide him. He’ll need his father.”

_His father._ He was a father. He had a family. Overnight, he went from never having had a real family to having one of his own. His Belle was the mother of his child. Really, it was a dream to have a family- a future- with her.

“We have a son,” he stated. His whole demeanor softened and lit up. “Belle, we have a son!”

She chuckled softly, “I know!”

The embrace they shared this time was happier and more about rejoice than comfort. They both cried tears of joy and when they were done, he took her hands in his and held them tightly. “Belle, come home with me,” he requested excitedly, “as soon as the doctor releases you and Bae, come home with me.”

More tears of happiness fell down her cheek as she nodded and cried, “Okay!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think? I love hearing your feedback! (:


	7. Princess Belle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belle is reunited with her parents and Bae meets them for the first time. Bae still has trouble interacting with everyone except his mother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am officially the shittiest person when it comes to updates. But I hope you like this one, even though it is shorter than I had hoped.

As soon as the door opened, Bae ran to Belle and clung to her as if he hadn’t seen her in ages. “Hey, sweetheart! It’s okay,” she said assuredly, “It’s alright, I’m still here.”

He said nothing because his father and the nurse were in the room. Belle sat on the bed with him and reminded him that she wasn’t going anywhere. By the time he had relaxed enough to loosen his hold on her, the nurse had already left the room and his father had taken a couple of calls outside.

“Baelfire, you’re going to have to start speaking to people soon,” she expressed her concern, “Otherwise, the doctor may keep us here longer. Plus, your father wants to know you. I thought you wanted to know him.”

“Mama, when are we going to Room?” he changed the subject.

Belle paused for a moment. She never wanted to see that hell hole ever again. “Baby, we’re never going back to Room. You understand that, right?”

“But where will we sleep?”

“We’re going to live with your father. He’s very excited about it.”

The television playing silently in the background caught Bae’s attention. Belle was still speaking about his father when Bae interrupted. “Mama?”

When Belle looked at the TV, her jaw dropped. Keith’s mug shot was on the screen and the headline was about his arrest just a few hours ago. Someone even leaked information about Belle and Bae, and how they were in the local hospital. It was all happening so quickly. She didn’t want media coverage at all and it was already becoming a circus.

Axel hurried into the room as soon as he hung up the phone. He could see the fear and surprise in their eyes at the new so he grabbed the remote and quickly turned it off.

“Sorry about that, I just got the call about it. Apparently, someone in this hospital can’t keep their mouths shut and the police have failed to keep this contained.”

“Where- where is he?” She asked, trying to keep calm.

“He’s in jail. I’m doing everything I can to keep you as far away from him as possible. They’re going to offer him a plea deal, to try and keep this from going to trial. But he’ll never see the light of day again, I guarantee that.”

“So we won’t have to see him again?”

“Not if he pleads guilty.”

“Okay.” Belle nodded her head and that was it.

He was a little confused. A bigger response was expected, maybe a refusal to see him, or perhaps another question. Not just _okay_.

“The hospital has already received calls from reporters. I’m doing my best to keep them away.”

“Thanks, I appreciate it,” she said sincerely.

After that, she changed the channel onto some cartoons for Bae and the trio sat quietly. Bae was cuddled with Belle and Axel was on his designated chair.

His son had yet to utter a word to him. Or to anyone. He felt like he was an intrusive presence in the room. It was hard to keep the staring to a minimum. Even when he promised himself he'd stop staring lest he scare the boy, he still stole many glances. Once he started, he couldn’t stop. He helped create that little person. A little person who, two days ago, he had no idea even existed. Every time he saw his face, he felt happiness, anxiety, and guilt. He hadn’t known he was a father but he started off as a shit one considering he already lost five years. Five formative years. His own deadbeat father had stuck around for the early childhood, at least. Axel wanted to know everything about Baelfire. What was his favorite color? His favorite song? Did he have allergies? Would he ever forgive him for not being there?

And then there was the guilt he felt when he looked at Belle. His beautiful Belle who had to bring up their child in the seclusion of four walls. What was it like raising Bae on her own? How did she manage to give birth in those conditions? Would _she_ ever forgive him?

As he asked himself all these questions, there was a knock on the door. Doctor Whale entered tentatively. “Belle, your parents are here.”

He was pushed out of the way when Belle’s parents bustled in. Bae immediately jumped into the fetal position and buried his face into the mattress.

“Mum?! Dad?!” Belle ran into her parent’s arms.

Her mother couldn’t even get a word out, she was crying so hard. Her father was softly sobbing words of love and comfort.

“I’m so sorry!” Belle finally cried out, as though this whole situation were her fault.

That’s when Collette managed to speak up. “Oh, my sweet girl, none of this is your fault!” She pulled away from the hug to get a good look at her daughter’s tear-stricken face. She wanted to break down in sobs all over again. Belle was so thin and exhausted. For a moment, she saw the little girl she used to be. When Belle was a child, she would wear this yellow costume ball gown and claim that she was Princess Belle and her kingdom consisted of piles of books she built into forts.

“Mum?” Belle’s small voice broke her out of her reverie. That little girl disappeared along with it. She was facing present Belle. More tears flowed down Collette's face as she caressed her daughter’s cheek. Her Belle was home and in her arms. Nothing else mattered.

“I’m sorry, I just can’t stop crying! We missed you terribly!”

They hugged and cried some more while Axel sat and waited to be noticed. He was also looking after Bae and observing his behavior. He couldn’t comfort him because he didn’t know how and he had a feeling his touch wouldn’t be well-received.

“David told us everything,” Collette mentioned, her voice thick with emotion. She pulled away to look at the child curled up on the bed. “Thank you for saving our little girl, Baelfire.”

Bae didn’t look up. He didn’t know these people but they were supposed to be his grandma and grandpa.

Collette looked to Axel and hugged him. “We have her back! You never gave up!”

He returned the embrace endearingly. “Neither did you.”

When everyone was hugged out and too tired to cry, they all sat down. Belle coaxed Baelfire out of his little shell just enough to get him to sit up with her, but his face remained hidden in her side.

“Mum, Dad, this is my son Baelfire,” she formally introduced. Belle whispered softly to her son, “Bae, remember what we talked about? Can you say hi?”

Very slowly, he looked up just enough to peek at them. His long hair shadowed his face but they caught a glimpse of him before he went back to hiding.

“He’s very shy. He’s not used to people yet.”

“Of course,” her mother sympathized. “Oh, sweetheart, he’s beautiful!”

Collette tried not to cry but the tears kept coming. She had a grandson! She was happy and heartbroken. Her daughter had to go through it alone and she also missed five years of his life.

“You were already pregnant when it happened,” Moe speculated gravely.

The second he saw those eyes, he _knew_. That was Gold’s son, the man he had despised since his daughter first announced their relationship, the man he had accused for Belle’s disappearance. At least he knew his grandson wasn’t the son of a complete monster…

“I didn’t know until I was already inside,” she admitted.

Collette hadn’t seen the resemblance at first because she was so enamored with the child. “Wait, so you-“ she looked at Axel, then at Belle, and put two and two together. “Oh.”

Things were a little tense after. Collette couldn’t imagine what it must have been like for Belle, nor could she envision what Axel was going through. To find out he was a father like this must be difficult.

Moe and Collette both had some piece of mind knowing that their grandson was Axel's and not Keith’s. Their only obstacle was figuring out what to do now that they had a new addition to the family.

XXXX

With Belle’s mother there to keep her company, Axel went home to shower and plan. They'd be coming home soon and there were so many things to be done. Belle needed a room, so did his son but he'd probably want to share with Belle for a while. Collette, and presumably Moe, would also need a place to stay. This would be the first time his house was full in years. He was alone for what felt like an eternity without Belle but he'd never have to feel that again.

His first call was to his law firm to inform them that he would not be taking any more cases and he was taking well-deserved time off. After he had finished up all of his calls and made the right plans, he was going to head to the department store to buy clothing that they could wear for now instead of wearing hospital clothes. It was hard seeing Belle in hospital clothing when she deserved better.

When he returned to the hospital with the clothes that he _hoped_ fit the both of them, he saw Moe sitting outside of the room.

“We told her about the separation and the move and how all of her things are in storage,” Moe explained, “She’s taking the news pretty well, I guess.”

“Yes, she’s adjusting to all of this change very well.”

There was a tense silence and he was just about to excuse himself when Moe spoke up again.

“That man took my little girl and locked her away for so long… The things he did to her… The damage he’s done to my Belle…” he started to choke up but swallowed his emotions, “I know the kind of man you are, Gold. I know what you can do. Just promise me that you’ll make him pay for what he did.”

In that moment, Gold decided to forget that he spent months being harassed by detectives because of Moe. For once, they were on the same page. “He’s going to suffer. I promise.”

Maurice never made eye contact with him throughout the whole interaction but he did nod his satisfaction and Gold took that as his cue to go inside.

The clothes fit Belle loosely. She was so much smaller than before, and even then she was constantly having her clothes altered to her naturally petite body. But she insisted that they were perfect. Baelfire’s clothing fit a little better. His only issue was the pair of sneakers Axel bought him. Bae had never owned a pair of shoes before so he didn’t like wearing them. In fact, he and Belle had a hushed argument in the bathroom while they dressed. So they made a deal. He would only have to wear the shoes when they left the hospital room, especially when they went for the small walks that Doctor Whale recommended to help gently expose them to their new environment.

For dinner, Axel ordered a pizza. The closest thing she and Bae ever got to pizza in Room was a bagel with tomato sauce sprinkled with shredded cheese. The whole party except for his mother had to wait outside so that Bae could feel comfortable enough to eat and when he started to eat, pizza very quickly became his favorite food. He had never eaten anything that tasted that good before, it was even better than birthday cake and the ice cream his Mama used to make out of frozen bananas.

A little more than half the pizza was eaten by the time everyone was allowed back in. Everything was fine for a while. They all sat quietly and watched a rerun of an old sitcom when Belle suddenly rushed into the bathroom. She didn’t even have time to take Bae with her, causing him to curl up into a ball.

They all heard Belle retching and immediately called for Doctor Whale. He entered the bathroom alone and they were in there for a while. Bae started to get a little restless, making the small effort to lift his head slightly and peek out of his self-made cocoon.

The faucet started to run and when Doctor Whale stepped out alone, the whole family, except for Bae of course, stood up as though he was supposed to make some sort of announcement.

“Everything’s fine. Belle just ate too much too fast. Her stomach is no longer used to having that much food in it. It’s very common in anorexics and victims of starvation throughout their treatment. We’re just going to put her on a meal plan for now. It is going to be very important that both her mental and physical recovery be taken one day at a time.”

Axel mentally chided himself for being so inconsiderate. He was so focused on making sure that she got some quality food in her that he didn’t stop to think of how her body would react. Belle finished cleaning up after herself and stepped outside.

“Belle, I’m so sorry, I didn’t think you’d get sick.”

“Don’t be sorry, I loved the pizza. Granted, it tasted better going down than it did up but really, it’s the best thing I’ve eaten in ages,” she consoled.

Thankfully, Bae kept it all down. Axel would have punched himself if he ruined the little boy’s night too. The night was tranquil. Bae silently listened to his mother speak to his grandparents and father while they caught up some more. The only time he stirred at all was when Belle got up to say goodbye to her parents. They were going to stay at Granny’s Inn. Granny was an old family friend and would ensure discretion since the media wanted to know everything about the boy and his mother who were locked in a garden shed for years.

Doctor Whale said they could leave the hospital in a few days. So long as she and Bae continued their walks and showed signs of physical and mental improvement, they could start their new life. That’s all Belle wanted for her and her son. A new start at a new life with her family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, tell me what you think about this chapter! And y'all should know by now I'm always open to suggestions.
> 
> P.S. I hope you guys had an awesome Christmas, Hanukkah, or whatever you celebrate!!!


End file.
